Rig Veda 10.183.2: Mandala 10, Sukta 183, Mantra 2
Sukta 10.183
- Devata
- A generative embodied power addressed for conception/birth
- Rasa
- Shringara (love) and Adbhuta (wonder)
अपश्यं त्वा मनसा दीध्यानां स्वायां तनू ऋत्व्ये नाधमानाम् । उप मामुच्चा युवतिर्बभूयाः प्र जायस्व प्रजया पुत्रकामे ॥
ápaśyaṃ tvā manasā dīdhyā́nāṃ svā́yāṃ tanū́ ṛ́tvye nā́dhamānām | úpa mām uccā́ yuvatír babhūyāḥ prá jāyasva prajā́yā putra-kāme ||
मैंने तुम्हे अपने मन में देखा जब वो जग रहा था। तुम अपने शरीर में काम कर रहे थे सही वक्त पर। मेरे ऊपर उठ के आओ, एक शक्तिशाली युवा स्त्री की तरह बनो। बेटा के इच्छा वाले, अपनी शक्ति से पैदा करो।
Word by Word
- अपश्यन्
- (I) sawVerbलङ् (इम्पर्फेक्ट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KartāRoot √पश् (दृश्-अर्थे)
- त्वा
- youPronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (त्वद्-प्रातिपदिक)
- मनसा
- with (my) mindNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot मनस्
- दीध्यानाम्
- meditating, intent in thoughtParticiple (Adjective)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्वाम्-विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot √ध्यै (चिन्तायाम्) → दीध्याना- (वेदिक-प्रेस. पार्ट.)
- स्वायाम्
- in (your) ownAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot स्व (स्व-प्रातिपदिक)
- तनू
- body, personNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot तनू
- ऋत्व्ये
- seasonal/ritual (fit for the rite)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (तन्व्याम्-विशेषणम्)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot ऋत्विय (ऋतु-सम्बद्ध)
- नाधमानाम्
- being pressed/implored, yearningParticiple (Adjective)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (त्वाम्-विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot √नाध् (पीडायाम्/याचनायाम्) → नाधमान- (वेदिक-प्रेस. पार्ट.)
- उप
- near, towardsIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot उप
- मा
- mePronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अस्मद् (मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
- उच्चाः
- lofty/high (as a maiden)Adjective (used adverbially)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (युवतिः-विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot उच्च (उद्+√चि/उच्च-प्रातिपदिक)
- युवतिः
- a young woman/maidenNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युवति
- बभूयाः
- may you becomeVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KartāRoot √भू
- प्र
- forth, forwardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRoot प्र
- जायस्व
- be born; come into beingVerbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole KartāRoot √जन्
- प्रजया
- with offspringNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot प्रजा
- पुत्रकामे
- O (woman) desiring a sonAdjective (vocative epithet)(सम्बोधन-रूपे) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot पुत्रकाम (पुत्र+काम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: अपश्यन् त्वा मनसा दीध्यानाम् स्वायाम् तनू ऋत्व्ये नाधमानाम् । उप मा उच्चाः युवतिः बभूयाः । प्र जायस्व प्रजया पुत्रकामे ॥ मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) मामुच्चा = मा + उच्चाः (स्वर-सन्धि/संयोग; लेखने ‘मामुच्चा’)
- (2) त्वा मनसा (सन्धि-रहित संयोग)
- (3) स्वायां तनू (सन्धि-रहित)
- (4) प्र जायस्व (उपसर्ग ‘प्र’ पृथक्)
The meaning
Outer meaning
The speaker says she beholds the addressed power with an inwardly kindled mind, sees it laboring in its own body at the right season, asks it to rise over her as a youthful woman, and to be born forth with progeny for one desiring a son.
Inner meaning
Aurobindonian reading: the “desire for the son” becomes the aspiration for a new inner birth—an embodied creative Śakti forming within the adhāra (svāyāṃ tanū). The mind (manas) is “kindled” (dīdhyānā) to perceive the subtle working of the formative Power in the right time (ṛtvye: right season/right moment in ṛta). The call “rise over me” is the ascent of the higher creative force over the lower nature, so that a new consciousness (putra as “child of the soul”, a new formation of being) may be generated.
Universal truth
True creation—whether a child, a work, or a transformed self—requires right timing, sustained inner heat of attention, and surrender to a higher formative intelligence that shapes the new being from within the embodied field.
Themes
Fertility and embodiment, Right season/right order, Descent of creative energy
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 10.183.1-3 (associated cluster), RV 10.184.1-3 (garbhādhāna/conception set)
Significance
The anonymity suits the mantra’s archetypal voice: the human seeker (often framed as the mother/adhāra) invoking the universal Creative Power for an embodied new birth—outer or inner.
The deity
- Devata
- Generative embodied Śakti (creative Power addressed for conception/new birth)
- Epithets
- yuvatī (youthful one), prajāvatī (progeny-bearing, implied), ṛtviyā (right-timed, implied)
- Related deities
- Vāc (creative Word), Aditi (infinite mother-principle), Sarasvatī (inspirational flow), Prajāpati/Dhātṛ (formative ordainers)
Cosmic role
Formative power that brings subtle intention into embodied manifestation according to ṛta (right order).
Inner power
Shakti of inner formation—capacity to conceive, hold, ripen, and deliver a new consciousness or ‘child of the being’.
In ritual
Where it is used
Garbhādhāna / conception and safe gestation (also used in protective fertility rites)
अप॑श्यं त्वा॒ मन॑सा॒ दीध्या॑नां॒ स्वायां॑ त॒नू ऋत्व्ये॒ नाध॑मानाम् । उप॒ मामु॒च्चा यु॑व॒तिर्ब॑भूया॒: प्र जा॑यस्व प्र॒जया॑ पुत्रकामे ॥
अप॑श्यम् । त्वा॒ । मन॑सा । दीध्या॑नाम् । स्वाया॑म् । त॒नू इति॑ । ऋत्व्ये॑ । नाध॑मानाम् । उप॑ । माम् । उ॒च्चा । यु॒व॒तिः । ब॒भू॒याः॒ । प्र । जा॒य॒स्व॒ । प्र॒ऽजया॑ । पु॒त्र॒ऽका॒म॒ ॥
apaśyam | tvā | manasā | dīdhyānām | svāyām | tanū iti | ṛtvye | nādhamānām | upa | mām | uccā | yuvatiḥ | babhūyāḥ | pra | jāyasva | pra-jayā | putra-kāma
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4 pādas (approx. 11 syllables each; minor irregularities possible in transmitted text)
Forward-driving, exhortative cadence with a lifting imperative tone (upa… uccā; pra jāyasva).
Builds inner heat and expectancy; supports visualization of ascent and birth—useful for sankalpa and gestational/creative meditations.
- अपश्यं (apaśyaṃ)
- Literal: I saw, beheld. Symbolic: inner seeing/vision by awakened consciousness
- मनसा (manasā)
- Literal: with the mind. Symbolic: mental instrument turned inward, attentive and receptive
- दीध्यानाम् (dīdhyānām)
- Literal: kindling, contemplating, glowing. Symbolic: tapas of thought; concentrated aspiration that ignites perception
- स्वायां तनू (svāyāṃ tanū)
- Literal: in thine own body. Symbolic: the Power embodied in the subtle-physical support (adhāra)
- ऋत्व्ये (ṛtvye)
- Literal: in the right season, at the proper rite-time. Symbolic: alignment with ṛta; the right moment of inner ripening
- नाधमानाम् (nā́dhamānām)
- Literal: laboring, striving, pressing forward. Symbolic: the formative effort of consciousness to manifest a new state
- युवतिः (yuvatíḥ)
- Literal: young woman. Symbolic: fresh, potent Shakti; renewing creative force
- प्रजया (prajayā)
- Literal: with progeny. Symbolic: multiplication of right formations—thoughts, powers, realizations
- पुत्रकामे (putrakāme)
- Literal: desiring a son. Symbolic: aspiration for the ‘son’ as new birth of the soul-force or illumined mind
Progeny rite (putra-kāma); emphasizes right season (ṛtu) and embodiment (tanū), suitable for consecrations around conception.
At intention for conception; during early pregnancy for protection and right formation
Recitation with sankalpa; offering/āhuti in domestic fire in some traditions; blessing of the mother
Invoked for ‘inner conception’: beginning a new practice, project, recovery, or spiritual rebirth—aligning effort with right timing and surrendering to a higher shaping force.
ṛtú from √ṛ 'to go, fit, rise' → right time/order; nādhamāna from √nandh/√nādh? (Vedic usage: 'to strive, press') → labouring; yúvati from yuva 'young' (PIE *h₂yeu- 'vital force, youth'); uccā from ud 'up' → elevation/overshadowing.
Embodiment of force (tanū), Right rhythm (ṛtu/ṛta) as law of manifestation, Descent/overshadowing (upa...uccā) as higher influence
Explicit via ṛtvye: the birth must occur in the right season/moment of ṛta.
Truth-seeing (apaśyam) as the condition for true formation.
Embodied creation: the Power works within its own ‘body’ and brings forth progeny/new formations.
Proto-Sāṃkhya/Śākta tendencies in late RV; Aurobindonian integral-psychological reading (inner sacrifice and evolution of consciousness).
Heat = tapas of aspiration; season = right psychological moment; body/womb = the receptive field of nature where the higher force incarnates.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The feminine-power-of-birth mythologem: the creative force is invoked to take the form of a yuvati (fertile dynamic energy) and overshadow the seeker, enabling manifestation at the right season (ṛtu).
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- yuvatiḥ aligns with PIE youth/vitality root *h₂yeu- (cf. Latin iuvenis). √bhū (babhūyāḥ) continues PIE *bʰuH- 'be, become'. The semantic linkage of season/order (ṛtu) with correctness reflects an inherited IE tendency to sacralize right timing and cosmic order.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s mind-kindling calls the power into embodiment; the devatā is asked to assume a fertile form and act upon/above the rishi, producing prajā. Reciprocity is intimate: the divine becomes bodily (tanū) within the human field to generate the new.
‘Inner conception’—hold a single luminous intention and feel a higher Shakti shaping it within the body.
svadhisthana (creative womb) / anahata (nurturing)
Slow inhale with ‘apaśyam’; gentle kumbhaka to ‘hold the garbha’; long exhale on ‘pra jāyasva’.
Receptive concentration (dhyāna with tapas), surrender to formative intelligence.
Sit quietly; kindle aspiration in the mind-heart; sense the right time (ṛtu) rather than forcing; repeat the mantra 9 or 27 times, ending in silence to ‘let it form’.
Not fully reconstructible here; chant in a steady Vedic-style recitation with natural udatta lifts on key verbs (apaśyaṃ, babhūyāḥ, pra jāyasva).
Let imperatives rise slightly (‘upa… uccā’, ‘pra jāyasva’); keep connective particles lighter.
apaśyaṃ: ‘śy’ conjunct clear (a-paś-yaṃ), dīdhyānām: long ī; aspirate ‘dhy’ softly, ṛtvye: vocalic ṛ (as in ‘ri’ but tighter), yuvatir: short u, clear v, prajayā: ‘j’ voiced, long ā
Warm, prayerful, inwardly charged (tapas) rather than loud.
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